Indicator for motor vehicles



s- 3. 0- M. TIBBETTS 2,211,182

INDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed March 2, 1939 INVENTOR.

ATTORN E Y5 Patented Aug. 13, 1940 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEINDICATOR- FOR MOTOR "EHICLES .Milton Tibbetts. Detroit. Mich. assignorto Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of MichiganApplication March 2, 1939. Serial No. 259,405

6 Claims. (Cl. llfi28l This invention relates to motor vehicles and asit. will be shown as applied to the front particularly to means mountedon the vehicle for portion of a vehicle. indicating to the driver when awheel is ap- The indicator of the device is shown in the preaching astreet curb. form of an upright rod 20 pivoted on the fender 6 Inpresent-day motor vehicles it is difficult for so that its upper end isvisible from the driver's the driver of a left-hand'drive car to judgethe position. A bracket for this rod is shown as exact distance of thecar from a street curb as detachably connected to the upper portion ofthe the latter is approached by the car. This is fender H and on theouter edge thereof. The especially diflicult when backing into a parkingbracket is indicated at 2| and one or more bolts place when the rightrear wheel is approaching 22 secure it to the fender edge. The bracket2! 10 the curb, but it is also difiicult. to exactly place extendsinwardly somewhat from the lender and the right front wheel as the curbis approached the rod 20 has its lower end bent as at 23 and is withthat end of the car, pivoted at 24 t0 the bracket 2'. The bracket 2| Itis usually desirable to park a vehicle within has a stop 25 againstwhich a lug 26 abuts for a few inches of b t t. touching a rb a d therholding the rod against outward movement. 15 is an objection to firsttouching the curb with d t s keep it in a up position except the side ofthe wheel and then pulling away from when the indica or i per y th rbconit the desired distance. because in doing so the tact ng de ice ashereinafter described.

sidewall of the tire is worn and sometimes cut The curb contactingdevice of this invention is 20 by a jagged curb. and with the use ofwhite shown in the form of a depending arm 30 and 20 sidewall tires asoiled tire results. this arm is pivotally mounted on the vehicle be- Itis therefore one of the objects of the present tween the end of thevehicle and the adj t invention to provide a simple device for a motorwheel. In the form shown it is mounted on the vehicle which willfacilitate parking the vehicle er front portion of the fender H on abracket close to but, not touching the curb 3| which is removablySEClllBd t0 the fender Another object of the invention is to providesimilar to the bracket 2|, The arm is pivoted means for feeling the curbbefore touching it to the et 3| at 3 and a Sp 33 d a with the wheels sothat the driver may make a stop 34 yieldin l retain e ar in aSubstantiperfect. parking job ally vertical position. This mounting ofthe arm 30 Another object of the invention is to pro ide 30 On the Outerand lower e e of t e de II a Curb indicating or fe li g device which maybe positions it forward of the wheel and several easily tt ched to andremoved from a vehicle inches outwardly therefrom. so that as the wheelOther objects of the invention will appear from approaches a- Curb thearm 30 will Contact the the following description taken in connectionCurb before t e he doeswith the drawing. which forms a part of this Thearm 30 a a short arm 35 attached to it specification and in which; andextending inwardly from the pivot 32 so Figure 1 is a i View of tforward t of a that as the arm 30 swings inwardly on its pivot. motorvehicle embodying t invention; as by contacting a curb, the free end ofthe arm Figure 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the 35 will e wardy for the purpose of 40 vehicle shown in Figure 1; p at ng theindicator. 40 Figure 3 is a detail showing of the mounting ofInterconnectmg eans between the curb conth di t tacting device and theindicator is shown in the Figure 4 is a detail of the mounting of thecurb form of a Bowden wire 40. the casing of which contacting d issecured along the inside of the fender. the Figures 5 and 6 rlongitudinal sectional views lower end of the wire of which is securedto the 45 of two forms of the ontact rm. arm 35 as at 4| and the frontend of the wire of Referring to the drawing. l0 indicates a motor whichis Secured 150 the rod 20 as at These vehicle and II is the right frontfender thereof. Connections may be adjustable 35 y t REWS The fenderextends o er the wheel l2 which is shown that When t TOd is a nst the V50 mounted adjacent one end of the vehicle. In the 5150p 25 the arm Will3150 b6 against the p 50 present instance the forward end of a vehicle34. the latter being h d y d y in DOsiis shown and consequently theforward fender tion by the spring 33. and forward wh el. but. it will beunderstood that Thus it will be seen that as the arm 30 is the inventionmay also be applied to the rear moved on its pivot by reason ofcontacting a part of a vehicle in substantially the same way curb thearm 35 will move upwardly and 55 from thecurb the arm 30 and rod againstraighten up and remain so until again brought into operation. Figure 5shows one form of the arm 30. It is preferably made of rubber reinforcedby a steel rod 50 extending longitudinally throughout.

In Figure 6 the arm 30 is made of rubber with a reinforcing coil springwithin it.

With either of these constructions the arm 30 will operate the indicatorwith the initial movement inwardly of the free end of the arm and anyadditional movement will cause the arm to bend and yield to theobstruction but return to its initial shape and position when theobstruction is removed.

While I have herein described in some detail a specific embodiment of myinvention, which I deem to be new and advantageousand may speciiicallyclaim,. I do not desire it to be understood that my invention is limitedto the exact details of the construction, as it will be apparent thatchanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scopeof my invention.-

What is claimed is: v 1. In a motor vehicle, the combination with thefender thereof of an indicating device mounted on the upper portion ofsaid fender, a curb contacting device mountedpn a lower portion of saidfender forwardly and outwardly of the adjacent wheel, and meansconnecting said devices so that the movement of the curb contactingdevice will move the indicating device.

2. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the fender thereof, of anindicating rod pivoted in an upright position on the upper part of saidvehicle fender, a curb contacting arm pivoted to and depending from thelower forward portion of said fender in a position so that its free endwill contact a curb before the adjacent wheel, and connecting meansbetween the rod and the arm for moving said rod as said arm-is moved bycontact with a curb.

3. A curb indicating device for a motor vehicle comprising a pivotedindicator for mounting on a vehicle, a curb contacting element forseparate pivotalmounting on the vehicle, and a mechanical operatingconnection from said element to said indicator.

4. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the fender thereof, of anindicating device mounted on the fender and visible to the driver. acurb contacting device mounted on a lower portion of the fender andnearer the end of the vehicle than the indicating device, and anoperating connection between the curb contacting device and theindicating device.

5. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the fender thereof, of anindicating device mounted on the fender and visible to the driver, acurb contacting device mounted on a lower portion of the fender andnearer the end of the vehicle than the indicating device, andinterconnecting means between said devices for moving ,the indicatingdevice inwardly as the curb contacting device is moved inwardly.

6. In a motor vehicle, the combination of the fender thereof, anindicating device mounted on the upper part of the fender and arrangedto pivot inwardly towards the middle of the vehicle, a curb contactingdevice mounted on a lower portion of the fender and nearer the end ofthe vehicle than the indicating device, and an operating connectionbetween said devices so arranged that as the curb contacting device ismoved inwardly the indicating device will also move inwardly to indicatethe true movement of the curb contacting device.

MILTON. TIBBE'ITS.

